Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 14
WIGGLE
for STEEL:
Teaching Children to Tie Wiggle-style Nymphs
by Christian A. Shane
steelhead season, tie and fish some wiggle nymphs with
your young tier to trigger the steelhead bite.
photos by the author
Worth the wiggle?
"Observation of nymphs swimming about in the
aquarium revealed possibilities for several different
patterns. We notice that many species swim with a distinct
undulating movement of the abdomen." Doug Swisher and
Carl Richards, Selective Trout (1971).
Aquatic insects burrow, crawl, pulsate, dart, twitch and
swim within the substrate and the water column to escape
predators. Fly anglers dead drift and tight line nymphal
imitations to mimic this behavioral movement, and fly
tiers design articulated patterns such as streamers, nymphs
and dry flies to imitate aquatic creatures.
Known also as articulated or jointed flies, wiggle flies
include a flex point in their design by linking two hooks
together with monofilament line or wire. As Swisher and
Richards noticed in their nymph observations in Selective
Trout, the wiggle nymphs add, "a hinge between the
thorax and abdomen. This allows the rear part of the fly
to move freely and more closely simulate the movement of
the real nymph."
Some steelhead fly tiers also work lifelike articulation
into their patterns with wiggle-style nymphs. During
14
Many anglers and fly tiers debate whether the wiggle or
articulated patterns can out-fish standard nymph patterns.
In my experience in fishing and discussions with fellow
trout and steelhead anglers, wiggle nymphs have generated
strikes when the customary nymph patterns are not
working or when fish desire a little movement. Of course,
this may be the preference of the angler's fly selection rather
than that of the fish, but sometimes switching the fly pattern
while fishing is all it takes. At times, I have found that
steelhead prefer movement in their prey and wiggle nymphs
provide that trigger.
One + one = wiggle
One way to begin a simple steelhead-style wiggle nymph
with your tier is to have him or her create two separate fly
patterns and connect them using heavy monofilament line or
wire. After the pattern is complete, the trailing fly hook shank
point can be cut off with wire cutters to allow the tail end to
swim more freely.
For instance, choose a familiar pattern to begin with, such
as a Pheasant Tail Nymph, to demonstrate the steps of the
wiggle nymph. First, tie the wiggle tail end of the Pheasant Tail
Nymph to include the tail, wire and abdomen body wraps.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2019
www.gonefishingpa.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpQSV__bO9k&feature=youtu.be
http://www.gonefishingpa.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019
Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 4
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 5
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 7
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 8
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 9
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 10
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 12
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 13
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 14
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 15
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 16
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 17
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 18
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 19
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 20
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 21
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 22
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 23
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 25
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 26
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 28
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 30
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 31
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 38
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 40
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 41
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 42
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 43
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 61
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - 63
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2019 - Cover4
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